Staple-driving machine



Dec. 25 1923. 1,478,858

J. S. HOTCHKISS STAPLE DRIVING MACHINE Filed Aug. 17 1922 INVENTOR.

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Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,478,858 PATENT OF-FIQE.

JULIA S. HOTCHKISS, 0F NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

STAPLE-DRIVING MACHINE Application filed August 17, 1922. Serial No. 582,865.

To all lwho/m, t may concer/n:

Be it known that I, JULIA S. HoToHKrss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwalk, county of F airfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement. in Staple-Driving Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionv relates to stapling machines and particularly to that type known as strip stapling machines wherein each staple is severed from a strip of integrally connected staples and then driven, the staple strip being fed forwardly at each operation of the machine to bring the staples successively into a position to be severed and driven.

The invention has for an object to provide an improved feeding mechanism for the staple strip and one in which, when the feeding element which engages the strip is retracted to its rearward position to engage the strip prior to advancing the same, it will be removed from engagement with the strip and so will have no tendency to move the" strip backwardly, and a separate holdback will, therefore, be unnecessary. p

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved `feeding mechanism for a staple strip which will also straighten the individual staple should it be bent out of position, and thus prevent clogging of the machine.

With the foregoing and' other objects in view I have devised the improved stapling machine illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional. elevation through the body of the machine showing the elements of the device in position ready for a staple driving operation.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the posi tion of the elements at about the time the points of the staple being driven is to enter the work.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the ele- `ments in the position they occupy after the staple has been driven but before they move to the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial transverse section substantially on the line 4-4'of Fi 1, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed partial p an view of the staple engaging means of the feeding mechanism on an enlarged scale and showing it in staple engaging position.

The machine comprises the base 10 sup` ported on suitable rubber or other supports plunger. The lower end of the plunger extends horizontally as shown at 20 providing a sharp edge 21 cooperating with the forward edge 22 of the slide to sever the staples and clinch the same in coaction with the anvil 10 whenthe plunger is reciprocated in the usual manner employed in this type of machines. The strip'23 is inserted on the top of the rail or slide from the rear end thereof in the usual manner.

Vithin the chamber 24 in the casing or body 15 is .mounted my improved feeding mechanism which comprises a block 25 mounted to reciprocate horizontally in the casing on any suitable means, such as pins 26 extending transversely of the casing. This block is provided with a downwardl projecting portion 27 at its rear end to which the bell crank lever 28 is pivoted by lany suitable means vsuch as a pin 29, this bell crank being provided with upright :and lateral arms 3() and 31 respectively upon opposite sides of the sliding block 25, the laterally or substantially horizontally extending arms 31 being connected at their lower edges by a Ibridge member 32. Adjacent the forward ends of the horizontally extending arms 31 are means for engagingv the individual staples comprising substantiarms to limit the downward movement of the U-shaped members. 4 Pvoted between the upright arms 3.0 aajecent upper and thereof by a saitabla being limited by a suitable stop such as a pivot pin 37 is a pawl 38 provided with an inclined forward end 39 adapted to lie 1n the path of movement of the inclined surface 40 on the lug 41 carried by the plunger 17. The upper portion of the end of the block 25 is also inclined as shown at 42 so as to be engaged by this same lug whereby the block may be reciprocated in a manner presently to be described. The block is provided with a socket 43 leading from the rear end thereof within which is placed a coil spring 44 bearing at its opposite ends on the bottom of this socket and the vertically extendingr wall 45 of the casing 15, this spring tending to hold the block in its forward position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The block is provided on its upper edge with a longitudinally extending recess 46 into which the pawl 38 may rest as shown in tFigs. 1 and 3. A very light spring 47 carried by the upright arms 30 tends to hold the pawl 38 against the block 25. This spring is merely strong enough to prevent the pawl moving .away from the block should the machine be turned upside down.

The plunger, after a clinching operation, is moved to its uppermost position as shown in Fig. 1 by means of a spriner 48 surrounding the upper portion thereof and abutting at its opposite ends on the top of the casing and the underside of the hand piece or cap 49, the upper movement of the plunger transverse pin 50 carried .by the casing in alignment with the upper side of the lug 41.

The operation is as follows:

Assuming the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, a blow is struck with the hand on the cap 49 moving the plunger downwardly. As this plunger moves downwardly the inclined surface 40 of the lug 41 engages the forward end 39 of the pawl 38 moving the saine rearwardly and swinging the bell crank lever 28 about its pivot 29 to the position shown in Fig. 2 with the U- shaped staple engaging elementsv 33 raised above the top of the staple Strip as shown in Fig. 2. During this part of the movement of the plunger the block 25 will remain in its forward position as the spring 44 is stronger than the spring 35. Upon further movement of the plunger the inclined surface 40 of the lug reacts with the inclined surface 42 at the forward end of the block 25 and moves this block rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3 which carries therewith the bell crank lever 28. As the plunger reaches this lowerinost position the block 25 reaches its rearward position shown in Fig. 3, and the forward end of the pawl 38 slides over the top of the lug 40 allowing the staple engaging elements 33 to'move downwardly underthe action of the spring 35 and engage the next adjacent rearward staple, as shown in Fig. 3. When the plunger is released it will bemoved upwardly under the action of the spring 48 allowing the spring 44 to move the block 25 and the bell crank lever 28 with the staple engaging elements 33 to the forward position, which will also carry forward therewith the staple strip to the position shown in Fig. 1, and bring the next staple in position to be operated on by the plunger upon its next downward movement. As the plunger moves upwardly the forward end of the pawl 38 is raised by the top of the lug 40 .until the same may drop by this lug to its position on top of the block 25, this action being shown by the dotted line position of this pawl indicated in Fig. 1. y

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that before the staple engaging elements of the feeding mechanism is given its rearward movement in its feeding cycle, they are first moved from engagement with the staple strip and they are then moved b-ackwardly in the reverse movement of the cycle while entirely free from the staple strip and so have no tendency to move the same backwardly and, therefore, with this feed no hold-back is required. After these elements reach their extreme rearward position they are moved into engagement with the next 'rearwardly positioned staple and are then moved forwardly to advance the strip the distance corresponding to the distance between the individual sta-ples.4 If a staple happens to be bent rearwardly for example the foremost staple will engage the side of the guiding means 19 and further movement of the feeding mechanism under the action of the spring 44 will straighten the staple by moving the prongs or legs thereof to the vertical. or proper position.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a strip staple machine having a movable plunger for severing and clinching the individual staples, in combination, staple strip feeding mechanism comprising means for engaging thestrip, means for removing the engaging means from the strip, means for moving the engaging means rearwardly and then allowing it to again engage the staple strip, and means for then moving the engaging means forwardly to advance the staple strip; and means operated by the plunger for operating said feeding mechanism.

2. In a strip staple machine having a movable plunger for severing and clinching the individual staples, in combination, staple strip feeding mechanism comprising means for engaging a staple on said strip, meansf for raising said engaging means above the strip, means for then moving the engaging means rearwardly and allowing the same to engage the next adjacent staple, and

means for then moving the engaging means forwardly to advance the strip; and means operated by the plunger for operating said feeding mechanism.

3. In a strip staple machine having a movable plunger for severing andclinching the individual staples, in combination, staple strip feeding mechanism comprising means for engaging the strip, and means for removing the engaging means from the strip, moving it rearwardly, allowing it again to engage the strip and then movingv it forwardly to advance the strip; and means operated by the plunger for operating said feeding mechanism.

4. In a strip staple machine having a reciprocating plunger for severing and clinching the individual staples, in combination, staple strip feeding means comprising a reciprocally mounted block, staple strip engaging means mounted on the block, coacting means carried by the plunger and strip engaging means to remove said latter means from engagement with the strip, coacting means on the plunger and block adapted to then move the block rearwardly and allow the strip engaging means tomove into engagement with the strip, and means for then moving the block forwardly to advance the strip. 5. In a strip staple machine having means for severing and clinching the individual staples, in combination, staple strip feeding means comprising a reciprocable element, staple strip engaging means pivoted to said element, a pawl carried by said pivoted means, means operated with the first mentioned means adapted to 'coact with the pawl to remove the engaging means from the strip and then move the reciprocable element rearwardly, said means also adapted to then release the pawl to allow the strip engaging means to engage the strip, and means for moving the reciprocable element forwardly to advance the strip.

6. In a .strip staple machine having a reciprocating plunger for severing and clinching the individual staples, in com-v bination, staple strip feeding means comprising a bodily movable block, a lever pivoted to the block having staplestrip engaging means, a pawl pivoted to the lever,

means carried by the plunger adapted upon reciprocation thereof to engage the pawl to swing the lever on its pivot and remove it from engagement with the strip, said means also adapted to then move the block rearwardly and release the pawl to allow the' lever to engage the strip', and a spring adapted to move the block forwardly to advance the strip upon upward movement of the plunger adapted to engage the pawl to swing the lever from engagement with the strip, said means also adapted to then move the block rearwardly and allow the lever to engage a staple.

8. In a strip staple machine having a movable plunger for severing and clinching the individual staples, in combination, staple strip feeding means comprising a movable element, means to engage the staple strip, said means being connected with said element and adapted for movement independently thereof, means operatedl by the plunger for imparting said independent movement to the strip engaging means and for imparting rearward movement -to said element, and means for' advancing said element. A

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JULIA S. HOTCHKISS. 

